Spy-The-Spy

[moojuice]

Whenever i installed a program, i know that those programs always install stuff other than the place i put it to install. ie c:\program files\abc.

So i decided to search google and found this program. It basically shows ALL things that are installed on your hdd's when you install things and any changes at any time of the day.

Maybe i didn't explain it properly so maybe you can read the website.

Best of all about this software is that...it's FREE

spy-the-spy

[anon]

So i decided to search google and found this program. It basically shows ALL things that are installed on your hdd's when you install things and any changes at any time of the day.

Maybe i didn't explain it properly so maybe you can read the website.

Just finished reading the Web site. It's like a more user-friendly Filemon.

[moojuice]

Are you saying that is a bad thing?

I never used Filemon before, is it good?

[anonftw]

Never used either but ...

FileMon for windows

FileMon monitors and displays file system activity on a system in real-time. Its advanced capabilities make it a powerful tool for exploring the way Windows works, seeing how applications use the files and DLLs, or tracking down problems in system or application file configurations. Filemon's timestamping feature will show you precisely when every open, read, write or delete, happens, and its status column tells you the outcome. FileMon is so easy to use that you'll be an expert within minutes.

[anon]

Are you saying that is a bad thing?

No, of course not.

I never used Filemon before, is it good?

Check anonftw's post. I use it when for one reason or the other I need to know which files an app is accessing, or if it's trying to use an specific file. The first thing you'll notice when you run it is that the main window fills with spam very quickly

Click on the funnel icon to enable filtering. For example, if you want to know which apps try to access IE's rendering engine (well, technically, just a small part of it), enter "mshtml.dll" without the quotes after "Include:", and press OK. You can clear the list with the rubber icon.

[Renk]

It basically shows ALL things that are installed on your hdd's when you install things and any changes at any time of the day.

But how do you know what sort of things does this app install during its installation, and what exactly it changes during the day ?

[moojuice]

But how do you know what sort of things does this app install during its installation, and what exactly it changes during the day ?

I don't know about Filemon but i know spy-the-spy can see what files change/install on your c: etc, it even shows cookies that changes when you load websites. So for a small free program, i can't complain

Might try Filemon and see what the difference is.

[anon]

I don't know about Filemon

The only traces I have seen it leave are:

• a registry key
• a non-PnP driver you can see by enabling showing of nonpresent devices, then going to the Device Manager and enabling showing of hidden things

[moojuice]

I was just about to search on google and download Filemon. Then noticed the link anonftw has, shows that Filemon is made obselete?

Process Monitor v2.5
Official Microsoft link

edit: process monitor is too memory hogging (but that could be also cause my pc isn't the newest anymore and is having a bit of problems at the moment), but i think it is a good program, alot of the things they list i don't understand at all though

I also noticed it replaced a program called Regmon, instead of opening a new thread, is there any good programs for looking at the registry? I normally just use ccleaner only. Or would Process monitor be good enough?

[anon]

Seems you're right!

Note: FileMon and Regmon have been replaced by Process Monitor on versions of Windows starting with Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, and Windows Vista. Filemon and Regmon remain for legacy operating system support, including Windows 9x.

But it still works wonders in XP.

[moojuice]

I just tried FileMon, it's alot better than process monitor to me. Not as memory hogging but I have no idea what is happening, it does show alot of what is happening with my pc. And as anon said previously Spy-the-Spy is is really a friendlier version of it.

Is there any way to leave it in the systray though?

[anon]

Is there any way to leave it in the systray though?

Seems not. I remember there was a program that could "iconize" others even when they don't have such a setting, but it's probably not worth it.